Bending the Rules
by babysgnr
Summary: Life is full of decisions & consequences. The time has come for Edward to face his. But in a small Georgia town, everything isn't that simple. You learn to walk the way you talk, And DUI means SOL, Respect is earned, You live and learn to pray. You learn to pray. Tattward/Olderward/Youngella
1. Chapter 1

Title; Bending the Rules  
Author; babysgnr - formerly sunnyxday

AN; The story, the grammar, the spelling - no matter how good or how awful, it all belongs to me since I am writing unbeta'ed. I know that the first chapter is short, but with the way the first chapters played out, it worked out better this way.  
As always; love it - hate it - let me know.

_bgnr_

Edward Masen stood up from the light-colored wooden table as the judge dismissed the court room. He felt completely defeated and understandable so. This time, his typical defense of a fake apology and a promise to never be on the wrong side of the law fell on deaf ears. Judge Swan had sentenced him to the local chapter of AA and three hundred and fifty hours of community service. It could have been worse…and Edward knew that. He could have been in his best friend's shoes, or the girl's place struggling to live in the community hospital.

His head was pounding with what reminded of the weekend. His body was sore in places that he didn't know could ache... or at least to that degree. The past few days were a blur of bottles, flashing lights, hospitals and ultimately thanks to the victim's family - handcuffs and new legal woes.

The sun hit him hard as he pushed through the doors of the courthouse, finally feeling like he could breathe. Without a thought, he rolled up the sleeves of his button down shirt exposing the heavy ink on his right arm before yanking the tie from around his neck. Those clothes made him feel uncomfortable and he was pretty sure that everyone around him could tell. But now, he probably looked even stranger - a mix between clean - cut and the town delinquent, but as always he didn't care. He was going to do him and to hell with everyone and anyone else.

Across the street sat his silver Ford Raptor. It glistened in the sun, standing out with it's clean paint job and sheer size - much like how its owner stood out. With a quick glance at the ticking parking meter, Edward climbed onto the tailgate and dug a lighter and a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket. Anything to calm his nerves…

In that moment, it finally hit him how lucky he was. They had gone out that night, he and his best friend, Sam Uley, with the intention of letting off a let steam and maybe finding a girl for the night… but fate was a cruel mistress sometimes. Granted no one goes out with the intention of causing a car accident and the aftermath which left Jessica, a girl he had never even heard of before, clinging to life…closer to the grave than the kitchen table.  
Sam, he had gotten the short end of the justice stick, and part of him hated that for his best friend…a friend that was more of a brother than a friend. However, there was a part, the bigger selfish part, that hated to admit that he was glad that it wasn't him.  
After all, his reputation preceded him enough already without having the added stigma that came with serving two years behind bars.

He stubbed the remainder of the cigarette out with the heel of his boot and climbed in the cab of the truck. There was a drive ahead of him…plenty of time for him to think and vent to himself. Apparently, word had gotten around about Edward, that was the only thing it could have been; he had never stood in Judge Swan's court room before and his file wasn't anything serious. He figured someone somewhere along the line had gotten tired of his shit. The sad thing though is that Edward couldn't blame them. There was nothing to do in the town… hell, on a good day the single stop light in the town square caused a traffic jam.

After an hour and a half, the Raptor was driving down the dusty path that Brycen called a drive way. In all honesty, the drive way was more a dead - end drive since Edward's single story ranch house sat at the back of two and a half acres of land, and no neighbors in sight. Country living was his escape. It was in his blood. But even now, his demons were finding him way out here. There wasn't much more running he could do.

There would be more time to dwell on everything that happened when he had to have his first face to face with his court-appointed consuleor who would be somewhat of his over seer before the first meeting that he was ordered to attend. Right now, a glass, three fingers high with any kind of amber -colored liquid was calling his name.  
One glass.  
Two glasses.  
Three glasses.

He fell asleep before finishing the fifth glass, lulled into a dream that was a repeat of the past couple days. He would be lucky if he could somehow function without a hint of whiskey in his system, but that was all gone to hell now. Oh well. It wasn't like it was some big secret that he enjoyed a drink - or several.

Whiskey was his comfort. He was all alone day in and day out expect for those times that Jack came and comforted him like an old friend.

But sometimes, friendships ended...


	2. Chapter 2

Title; Bending the Rules 2  
Author; babysgnr

AN; The mistakes and all the other fun stuff are mine. No beta was harmed in the writing of this chapter. Nor do I own any part of Twilight or the characters... I am just a pay check to pay check kind of gal.  
Love it or hate it? Let me know below... hehe that rhymed! :)

But feel free if you like the story enough — and have a tumblr — to follow the original version - with all new characters and the additional extra from time to time at guitared - fingertips ...tumblr ... com

_BGNR_

The sun was breaking through the blinds. Evidently, seven thirty came earlier than what he thought - or even believed. But when he had to be at a meeting in an hour…there was no other coffee pot finished brewing by the time he stumbled into the kitchen, straightening his tie and ignoring the dull headache he had. There really wasn't a need for the nice button down shirt and unfrayed jeans when he refused to go with out his solid black baseball cap or the gauges in his ears. He wanted to make a good impression, but at the same time - he refused to go in and loose himself in the process.

He climbed into the driver side of his truck, mentally shaking his head at his foresight for not changing the oil in the beast when it needed it. Now it was a couple thousand miles overdue. But Johnny Law had other ideas. Other ideas that included being locked up in the county jail over the weekend with three not-so-hots and a very uncomfortable cot.

Edward arrived at the county complex with twenty minutes to spare. Luckily in a small town, traffic was not much of an issue. He grabbed a smoke and lit it up, swinging his feet down onto the running board of his truck. He needed to clear his head, to calm down. To hell with the simple fact that he would be walking in smelling like smoke and not his cologne.

One glance at his watch, and it was clear as he stumbled out the end of his cigarette that time had slipped up on him. Without any concern to those around him, he took off running through the main hallway of the building, his brass knuckle necklace bouncing and jiggling against the front of his shirt. Apparently, the office that he was to report to was on the third floor and the elevator was nowhere to be found.

"Mr. Masen?" A middle age woman questioned him as he walked through the office door.

"Yes ma'am.."

Edward answered, silently cursing the day he started smoking. "Mr. Newton is running behind schedule. He will be with you as soon as he is in the office."

Edward nodded. There wasn't much he could do to change the situation; it was just odd that in a town this size - someone as important as this Mr. Netwon was running late first thing in the morning. He sat down on the black leather sofa directly across from the door to the office. And waited. There wasn't anything to do, no magazines to read, not even a window to look out of. It was down right boring. Twenty minutes and a trip to the bathroom down the hall later, he found himself sitting in another office, directly across the table from Mr. White.

"Mr. Masen, my name is Michael Newton. I will be the one that overseas your community service time as well as the other meetings and sessions that you are required to attend by order of Judge Morris. Now before we begin, I took a few minutes to review your case prior to my meeting you, and even spoke with the parties involved with your case so I have a general idea of what happened and how you ended up in my office. But I want to hear from you about how you got here."

Edward felt his trademark smirk playing at his dry lips. He knew his time running from his demons and skating by was nearly over and that soon he would have to confess and beg for all the forgiveness that could be found. But right now, and having to had waited on this slowly grey hairing man across from him, he didn't think it was time.

"My truck got me here. Matter of fact, it's still in the parking lot…or it better be." He tilted his head to the side crossing his arms against his chest. Defiance written all over his face.

"And that's fine… . However, I might have forgotten to mention Judge Swan gave me the liberty to extend or change his orders as I deem necessary. I know about you, Mr. Masen. And Samuel..or as you know him Sam. So don't think that you're doing me, him or yourself any favors by being passive aggressive."

"Look man, I know my number's up. I gotta fess up, so excuse me for feeling uncomfortable about it all. There's a lot shit on my plate that I gotta eat. And I know it. I'm just not ready for it; and I don't even know where to begin."

With that, Edward stood up and made his way to the door, flipping the bill of his cap around to the back in the process. Michael had told him that they would meet on a regular basis starting tomorrow.

Time was up. Sure, everyone in town knew about the hell that he and Jamie were capable of raising on the regular. But those were just stories; the only two people that knew the truth were well.. he and Jamie. Now, with Sam behind bars, the secrets, the lies and ultimately the demons landed squarely on his shoulders. On the way back to his truck, he pulled his box of cigarettes from his back pocket and removed the final one. With a heavy sigh, he held the white stick between his lips and the lighter to the opposite end, waiting for the calm to rush over him.

Food was low at his house and it was a matter of time before both the food and the power, and even the water ran out - and he would be truly shit out of luck. But right now there wasn't much he could about it. The local mill, the place where everyone in town worked including him, had gotten wind of his legal woes and decided to be proactive instead of reactive which caused him to now be unemployed. So with that in mind and a few dollars in his back pocket, he stopped at the local pizza joint for a to go order. Pizza seemed sensible enough as it could be for all three meals and had a variety of the all important food groups including grease in one spot.

He reached the counter, his green eyes glancing half heartedly over the menu overhead.

"Can I help you?" A burnette with a pony tail and glasses asked stepping up to the counter.

"Yes ma'am. Can I place an order to go? A dozen hot wings and a large cheese deep dish pizza?" Edward ordered laying on the charm.

"Certainly," The girl spoke up again, hitting buttons in the computer before giving him a total and an estimated time.

Once again, he found himself sitting and waiting. Apparently the estimated time was just that— estimated; but then again patience was not a virture that he owned. The girl from behind the counter was moving around, sweeping up, clearly obvious that all she was really doing was trying to look busy until the lunch crowd started in in droves.

"Can I ask you a question," She asked quitely as her sweeping brought her closer to him. "Yeah," Brycen made no effort to hide the questioning in his voice. "Have I seen you around here before? I - I mean it is a small town, yeah, but - nevermind." "Probably have if you've lived here long enough. Probably heard stories too."

The girl tilted her head to the side, much like a puppy trying to understand its owner; "I haven't lived here all that long. My dad just started a job near by so we moved."

"Bummer, especially if you're coming from a big town because one red light isn't at all exciting, miss…" "Bella, well, it's Isabella," The girl glanced down at her badge, encouraging Edward to do the same, "But I go by Bella." "Nice to meet you, Bella." Edward smiled as he noticed his order being sat down on the counter behind her. He had to make a quick exit before he gave her too much information.

"What's your name, Mr. Tattoo?" Bella smiled, drawing the broom handle in closer to her frame. "Mr. Tattoo works fine for now…because you'll find out soon enough on your own. Believe me." Edward smiled, stepping around her. He could sense her insecurity and awe. But he couldn't figure out what was causing it...after all, he was just being friendly. Or at least that's what he was telling himself.

With that and order in hand, Edward slipped out the door narrowly escaping a situation that he couldn't control. But deep down he knew that this..her… wasn't going to go away any time soon. But right now, much like everything in his life he wasn't ready to deal with it.

The truck was spinning as fast as the tires would carry him. There was a strange feeling coming from being around her. But, there just couldn't be. Bella looked at most seventeen, still in high school and green behind the ears. He didn't need to taint that innocence with his demons and his … other things. His fists hit the steering the wheel as soon as the thoughts faded from his mind.

It just couldn't happen, not in this town. No way. No how. Even ignoring the possible seven year age difference between the two of them; good and evil just didn't mingle in this one stop light town.

Edward slammed the truck into park and grabbed the take out boxes from the passenger door, fiddling through his keys to find the house key without spilling the food or knocking over his motorcycle that was parked by the side of the house.

He slid the boxes onto the counter as he entered through the kitchen. His appetite had disappeared on the way home. There was no need to force it. Deep down, he felt the urge, the craving for entertaining the one friend that would never leave – Mr. Jack Daniels; but with everything that he was trying to accomplish – it just seemed to be a waste.

Remembering that he passed his bike on the way in, he couldn't remember the last time that he had actually taken it for a spin. So, he decked into his bedroom and changed his clothes before backing the bike out of the drive.

He had no destination in mind, he would just let the road lead him.

He ended back in town, driving by the same pizza spot where Bella worked. Without thought, he slowed down to a crawl, watching through the glass into the store.

Hell, if anyone asked, he could always say that he was looking for a parking spot.

But Bella wasn't working. Instead, she was sitting at a table in the front with a group of teenagers and there was a guy in a letterman's jacket with his arm draped around Bella's shoulder.

Instinct kicked in… and a wave of what felt like anger passed through Edward. With several revs of the engine; he sped off cursing the guy and secretly wishing it was him instead.


	3. Chapter 3

Title; Bending the Rules 3  
Author; babysgnr

* * *

Back at home; Edward still felt restless. His mind racing a mile a minute. Tonight was like most nights; where he ended up fighting sleep. Edward sat in his living room with the curtains drawn and the television glow lighting the room. A cloud of cigarette smoke floated above his head. His life had quickly tanked. To the point where he seriously doubted anyone would want anything to do with him. Even when he had called Tanya, his standby for those lonely nights, she had made it perfectly clear that she was done with him.

Tonight, with the pressing need for release, he only had one option. Right... right beside him... his right hand. The images in his started out as a faceless, nameless but shapely female body that morphed into Tanya then finally into Bella. But at that point he was to far gone to stop. And he didn't, not until he was out of breath, trembling and beaded with sweat. He stumbled as quickly as he could into the kitchen with his jeans around his ankles and this tank top tucked and folded underneath his chin. His wallet chain was clanking against the tile floor in the kitchen and his grandfather's dog tags dangling on top of his tattooed chest.

All this conflict was building up inside him and he had no one to turn to. In the past, he always had Sam because Sam alway told it like it was - no if's, and's or but's. However, because of the case that involved the two of them they were not allowed to communicate with one another . So that night cost him his sanity, his job, the life and routine he was accustomed to, and his best friend... all for a good time. The more he realized what he lost; he began to question his judgement.

One day quickly faded into the next. It had been three full days since he had been out of the house. The inside needed cleaning; the kitchen was a complete loss with bags of trash gathered around the trashcan and in the corner. Plates littered the sink and sat on the counter, still dirty. The living room had plates and cups sitting on the end tables from where Edward used them to eat a meal on. Pillows from the back of the couch were in the middle of the floor in one big heap. A blanket from the foot of his bed was wadded up in a ball on the couch from where he slept on occasion. Not only had his house gone to utter shit, but in the self-induced funk, he had missed the second appointment with Mike...another misadventure he was sure he'd be paying for later.

But all in all, he didn't care. And that was his problem.

Rome wasn't built in a day; and neither would the new Edward.

A knock at the door startled him. He wasn't expecting any visitors. Edward, a pair of sweat pants hanging low on his hips, got up, artfully dodging the mess in the living room and opened the door slowly and just enough to peer around it. The color drained from his face. He was staring at a ghost and the Grim Reaper.

"Edward, did you forget about me?" Mike asked as soon as Edward made eye contact with him.

Edward didn't speak, he was too busy looking at the person standing next to Mike. His older, and mostly absent, brother Emmett was standing on his porch. This was the first time in about two years that the brothers had been in such close proximity. Ever since Edward had embarked in this 'rebel phase' as his mother called it, family relations had been strained at best. His parents and Emmett had made various attempts to help him, to reel him in; but Edward's failure to do so had cost him a relationship with the three of them. And now Emmett was standing on his porch with a look of sadness and concern etched on his face. Edward didn't know how to react.

After another beat or two of awkward silence, Mike made a move to enter the door, Edward stopped him by quickly shoving the door in Mike's face. He knew that he was being difficult but he didn't give a damn.

"Not gonna happen, Newton."

"And why is that?" Mike took a step back, allowing Edward to briefly explain.

"You two show up unannounced on my property; I don't know if y'all thought you'd be running the show. But fuck that. My house, my property..my rules. And I am not allowing either of you two goobers in this house. Not now, not ever." Edward huffed.

"That's fine, but have you also forgotten, in your stupor, that you are MY patient and I have a direct line to YOUR judge, who controls whether or not you end up in the next cell block?"Mike argued, not being ready to call defeat.

"No, how could I? You seem to remind me every second. But do answer me this... how the hell did he end up here?" Edward motioned to his burly blonde headed brother.

Emmett threw his hands up in a defeatist motion, "Mike called me and asked me to come check up on you since you missed you guys' appointment. I mean, dude, I didn't know we'd both end up here at the same time. He didn't tell me he was coming, too."

"But what do you two want - this time?"

Mike was quick to react, "We want to help you."

_We want to help you_, was a phrase Edward had over the years from everyone. But most of the times he just laughed in their faces. He didn't think that there was anything that needed to be helped. He was young, so what if he enjoyed going out on the regular and drinking until he couldn't see straight. He had a job, his bills were always paid on time. So who cared what he did in _his_ free time.

"What makes you think this time your help will work?" Edward smarted off, staring Emmett in the face.

Emmett pulled a rolled up newspaper from his back pocket and threw it down in a lawn chair sitting beside him.

**TEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED IN LATE NIGHT CRASH**

"That's why," Emmett said gesturing to the head line.

"Fuck, dude, I wasn't behind the wheel.."

Edward's resolve was weakening.

"Dude, you gotta tell us...me.. what happened." Emmett placed his hand on his younger brother's shoulder as it slumped-completely defeated.

* * *

**_~BtR~_**

The hospital parking lot was full, but that wasn't anything strange considering that it was only a double - story, forty bed building. But Jessica had come back from Athens University Hospital which was about two hours away with a better critical care unit. She was no means out of the woods, but the doctors felt comfortable releasing her.

"Ang, I don't know about this. I mean, what do we say?"

"Bella, just act normal. Jess wouldn't us to act any differently just because she's in the hospital...hooked up to numerous tubes and monitors."

Granted, Jessica wasn't the best of friends with either us, but I managed to talk Angela into coming to see her. Living in a small town since this summer, I had learned that news travels fast and in high school - fast word tended to travel faster especially when it included one of our own.

Details were sketchy at best; everything depended on who you asked. Since I was the new kid at school, I really hadn't had time to find my spot with anyone other than Angela and her boyfriend, Ben. The three of us were in three of our four classes for the semester together; but that's understandable considering not many kids my age elected to take advanced classes - especially when one of those classes was English. But it suited me, ever since I was old enough to comprehend stories and books, I had my nose buried in one. And once I graduated, I wanted to get my degree in some sort of English related field... which field and where at.. I wasn't quite sure.

My dad had recently accepted a judgeship in this speck of a town offered to him by my - now boyfriend's dad; Michael Newton Jr... yeah, I was sorta-kind of dating Mike III. Before the move, he lived in Washington State while I lived in Arizona with my mom. I don't know what made me decide to move down here with my dad... but here I am. Georgia is similar to Arizona - they're both hot, but it's a different kind of hot. It's a sweat your face off the minute you open the door type of heat whereas Arizona was a dry, somewhat pleasant heat.

Ang and I had finally made it up to Jess's room. Her brother was waiting outside with who we could only guess was her mother. Both looked worn down. My guess is that her mother hadn't left her side since the night of the accident.

"Hi girls. You must go to school with Jessica?" Her mother asked as we approached.  
"Yes, ma'am, we do; we just thought we would come and see how she was," Ang answered for the two of us.  
"Oh, that's nice. Well, Jessica is having an x-ray done right now, to see how the bleeding is responding to treatment. She may or may not feel up to company afterwards."

Bleeding and an x-ray? I didn't know much about medicine and whatever, but from hearing my dad talk about accidents he responded to up in Washington where he was the sheriff for a town about the size of this one, that could only mean internal bleeding; and that only came from serious impact and injury. It was so strange to think that things like this happen in a town this size, but listening to students at school talk, everyone knew who did it. And what makes it worse is the driver didn't even stop. Apparently, a good samaritan following behind the car that hit Jessica saw it happen and called the law and reported it and the driver of the car. But even more talk made it sound like the people arrested for it, had a habit of raising hell in the town so when word got out about whoever this Edward and Sam was no one was surprised. But for their sakes, and Jessica's family, I hoped Jessica pulled through.

And as for me, I promised myself to stay away from trouble like that; even though I didn't know who they were because they were several years older than me. So that should make it easy.

**A/N; Again no betas were harmed or even consulted in the brainstorming or writing of this chapter - so all mistakes are mine. But now things are starting to pick up and starting to show how intertwined things are in a small town... but beware, things may be getting even more twisted in future chapters. You may need a flow chart (:  
But so much thanks to those of you have favorited, followed and commented thus far. But keep the feed back coming... the more I get, the more inspired I am to write.  
In terms of a posting schedule, I want to try to at least update once a week, usually on one of my days off work since I work crazy hours for a large cellphone company. Sometimes there may be more updates, like this weekend, but it all depends on how my time runs and how these crazies talk to me.  
And for future visual reference, if you can figure out what song title my screen name comes from, you will have a good visual reference point for our Edward.**

_**BSGNR**_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**A/N; So, firstly - there was a beta harmed in the process of writing and editing this chapter. :) and will hopefully stick by me through the completion of the story. However, there is some Southern slang and ways of speaking in this chapter (since the story is set in Georgia). Thanks to all that have followed, favorited, commented... I do take notice. And even through the not - so nice responses, I keep coming back. Also, the posting schedule is going to change just slightly seeing as how my days off at work have changed; but I am going to try my best to stick to once a week.**  
**Guess I will see you at the bottom...**  
_xx, bsgnr_

* * *

Mike had asked me over to his house for a family cook out.

_Joy._

It as though I didn't like Mike's parents; it was just that the Newtons' knew they were well off and they made no secret about passing judgment on those around them whom the family deemed beneath them. Mr. Newton, who was Mike's namesake, was a no nonsense type of man in his late forties with slightly greying hair and a dry sense of humor. Joann, his mother, put me in the mind of June Cleaver from_ Leave it to Beaver. _She was the exact opposite of my scatter-brained mother

After listening to Mike at lunch these past few days, I knew that his dad must have brought his work home with him. All he kept mentioning was that his dad was working a 'no-good waste of county money space' . Lauren, Jessica's best friend, usually sat either right beside Mike or in front of him at lunch and hung onto every word he said – regardless of the fact that all the information was second hand.

It isn't in me to pass judgment on anyone; after all, everyone has their own personal demons. However, for the life of me I can't understand how someone can run into another car ultimately causing it to flip and not stop as if the crunching, metal – on – metal sound, was normal. There again, Mike mentioned that the passenger had a spill spot on his pants that smelled like whiskey, so the cops were sure that there was an open container in the car at the time of the crash.

I parked my beast of a truck next to Mike's gas saving Civic once I reached the end of the driveway. There was a plume of smoke rising from the far corner of the backyard, so the cookout was well under way. My arrival, if not announced with the grumbling of the truck's engine, was ultimately announced by the slamming of my door. That hunk of metal was extremely heavy. At the loud banging, Mike's head popped up; he was sitting on the front porch evidently waiting on me. As I approached, I offered a smile as I tucked a random piece of hair behind my ear.

"Now, Bells," Mike began as he walked towards me, "just wanted to give you a head's up that my dad seems to be in a weird mood. He keeps rambling on about how he and this Masen dude's brother both showed up at the Masen's house because the guy missed his appointment. Then the Masen dude refused to talk to my dad, only talked to his brother. Apparently, the ungrateful piece of work called him an uneducated mother fucker...T o his face!"

The tone of his voice told me that now was not the time to remind him for the one hundredth time that I hated…If not_ loathed_ the nickname Bells. Well, from anyone other than my dad. The sound of it reminded me of nails on a chalkboard. I shuttered at the thought.

"Wow," I trailed off as Mike's story continued.

"I mean come on! Like who does he think he is? Honestly, he's nothing but an entitled piece of no good shit, if you ask me."

"Deep breath, Mike. I know this guy sounds like he's a real piece of work..a major douche, even. But I know your dad, he's smart; he had to have known that this Edward wasn't going to be an easy nut to crack. I mean I can tell that just from being in town for two, almost three months. "

I was trying to be rational since it was obvious that Mike was lacking that skill at the present moment.

"Really Bells? I thought you're my girlfriend and that you were to side with me. This Edward guy and his friend, Sam whatever his Indian name is, put a girl in the hospital that I have known since preschool. PRESCHOOL! And now the doctors aren't sure if she is going to live." His hand scrubbed his face in frustration.

Ang had warned me before Mike and I started dating that there seemed to be some attraction between Mike and Jess and had been for a while. But I didn't listen; I should have, because now I could see the clues. Deep down, something was nagging at me,too, letting me know that if it were me in the hospital bed clinging to life the way Jess was now, Mike wouldn't even notice,let alone care. I could see the little bubbles of truth behind Ang's comments floating to the surface; I just wished I had a pin to start bursting those stupid bubbles.

Pop.  
Pop. Pop.  
Pop.

Yeah, I could be a bitch when I needed too, but honestly, what girl didn't have that tendency when need be.

Dinner was strained. No one made any effort to communicate and enjoy one another's company. Joann seemed to be taking it personal; she constantly kept mouthing 'sorry' in my general direction. Every time she did, I raised my hand and shook it off as if it wasn't a big deal – because it wasn't. I knew that Mr. Newton was under a lot of pressure and Mike III seemed to shouldering a portion of his dad's stress. Needless to say, the conversation that we had when I arrived did not end well. He stormed back inside the house and I was left standing alone shuffling my feet.

Once the men were finished eating, I helped Joann clean up. I figured it was the least I could do to show my thanks for dinner.

"Mrs. Joann, I hate to pry, but what is so bad about this Masen guy? I mean I don't know much, but what I do know is that he is pretty much public enemy number one." I asked, drying the plate in my hand.

Joann turned around as though she was looking for someone, probably her husband, before she answered. " Back a few years ago, if I remember correctly, when he was about yours and Mikey's age, something happened. I don't remember what caused it, but he was in car wreck himself. The truck he was in flipped four times before landing in a tree, off of Highway 129. Ever since then, he hasn't been the same…ripping and roaming, raising cane. I do know that the wreck killed his cousin, Anthony. Which makes everything that happened with Jessica that much harder to believe. But seeing as how he has been drinking since his wreck, I am surprised that it hadn't happened sooner."

I stood there in awe. I didn't know which way to take the answer because I wasn't expecting that – at all. I mean, I figured that it was just more of a young and dumb kind of thing. After all, he_ is_ a guy.

"But he seemed ok, right?"

"Yeah. The majority of the impact was on the driver side and Anthony was driving. The cop that investigated the crash said the boys took a turn too fast and lost control."

"So, he drinks to cope, maybe?"

"I'm sure. But it's the drinking that's caused him to be a menace. He's constantly stumbling in and out of the bar just about every night of the week. Usually if you see his truck in town, there's a cop car behind it with the lights going. He's tattooed and pierced, and that doesn't go over too well with a lot of the older people in town."

"Like, heavily tattooed?" My mind went back to the guy that had walked into work the other day. He seemed sweet, but aware that his reputation preceded him.

"I don't know if he is what everyone now-a-days considers heavily tattooed; but he does have a lot."

After the sink full of dishes had been put away and the kitchen cleaned, I gracefully bowed out and headed back home. I wanted to see if I could find anything online about the Highway One Twenty – Nine crash. I didn't want to fall prey to the town's way of thinking, but I really just wanted to know to know more about who Masen was and why he was so hated in this little town.

* * *

A/N ((closer))

**Ripping, Roaming/Raising Cane - A way of saying that one is getting into trouble **

**But the pieces of the puzzle are coming together for Bella. Soon, she and you, will find out what really makes Masen isn't going to be an easy road for the both of them, that's for sure, but they are just getting started.**  
**Let me know what you think...**


	5. Chapter 5

**As always; I don't own Twilight or the characters. I'm just not that lucky. **  
**Let me know what you think... your theories... your likes... dislikes in the comments. I may not respond to all of them, but I read them all.**  
**Superbeta worked on much of this, but there are parts that even she hasn't seen and in those sections, all the mistakes and error are mine.**  
**{Longer A/N at the bottom}**

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Emmett shoved his brother inside the house. It was time to rip the scabs off whatever wounds Edward had been carrying around for years.

"Quit being an ass and tell me what the fuck is going on with you?" Emmett nearly yelled as he slammed and locked the door, leaving Mike outside with a dumbfounded look.

"What the fuck ever. I'm not being an ass when no one in this God forsaken Podunk town can't stand me and blames me for everything that goes wrong!"

"That was years ago, dude. Let it go…"

"It's hard to when everyone around you won't let you forget it." Edward yelled his hands fisting in his hair.

Edward sat on the couch; feeling defeated even though the conversation just started. He wasn't ready to rehash the past even though his brother lived the majority of it with him.

The night of the wreck – or the night that Anthony died, his life was altered just as much as the lives of those around him. There were secrets that he had never told and swore on Anthony's grave he would never share. It was okay for him to bear the burden and the outcast because unlike everyone else involved he didn't have a family reputation to protect.

"It's been seven years. Move on with your life, Anthony would have wanted you too." Emmett tried to reason.

"Move on, yeah, yeah. Easier said than done when you don't a thousand pound weight on your shoulders."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not ready yet. I may never be ready. But what I will say is that night, it wasn't just me and Anthony involved. Yeah, we were the ones that crashed; but before that – there were others at the party. Others that you would never guess."

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**-x-bsgnr-x-**

It had been a few days since I talked to Joann; in between school and work, I was surprised that I hadn't forgotten what she had told me. Luckily, since I knew how to Google, I had no problems finding old news articles from the local newspaper about the wreck. Two of them included pictures which hammered home just how lucky Edward was to be alive.  
I was at work with twenty minutes remaining in my shift, on a slow Wednesday night. In order to survive the lull, I was working on my English assignment that was due at the end of the week. The rusty chimes above the door jingled causing me to close my textbook, leaving highlighter in the spine.

The first to approach the counter first was a hulk of a man with a football player build, standing at a good six feet tall. However, it was the guy beside him that caught my attention. Black jeans with rips and tears running the length of the right leg, a vintage Pink Floyd t-shirt with dog tags hanging around his neck, boots peeking out from underneath his jeans and a baseball cap with the bill covering the majority of his down – turned face.  
I instantly knew who it was by the thickly inked lines swirling down the guy's right arm. It was Mr. Tattoo.

"Hiya," The bear of a guy started conversation, "is it seat yourself or…"  
"Yeah, pick any table y'all would like and I will be right with you." I smiled, hoping for the briefest moment I could make eye contact with Mr. Tattoo.

They sat down at a table about fifteen feet from the register, the one where my group of friends would sit and wait for me to close up. Matter of fact, Mr. Tattoo was sitting in the spot where Mike typically sat. The pair sat at the table talking in quieted tones, the muscular of the two did a lot of hand gestures. Not to mention his facial expressions were extremely animated, some of which I got a giggle out of. They seemed to be deep in conversation and in no rush, so I let them have a few moments before I approached.

I wasn't trying to listen in, but as I was wiping down the table directly behind them, I couldn't help overhearing Mr. Jock talking to Mr. Tattoo about skipping an appointment with his 'court – person' several times. Mr. Tattoo seemed to dodge the topic by giving Mr. Jock a weird side glance as if now wasn' t the time or place to discuss the topic.

"What can I get you to drink?" I asked as I pulled my memo pad from the back pocket of my khaki jeans.  
"I'll have a sweet tea, with plenty of ice, if you don't mind," The big guy with sandy blonde hair spoke up.

Mr. Tattoo didn't answer, let alone look up at me.

"Earth to Eddie; whatcha want to drink, dude?" Mr. Jock tried to get Mr. Tattoo's attention.

I kneeled down, even with the table and pried up the edge of the black baseball cap, "Hey, Mr. Tattoo."

A smirk played at the edge of his lips, but he didn't give in, "Miss Bella."

"Hi," I responded keeping my voice barely above a whisper, "You want something to drink?"

"I'm sorry," He whispered, his hand went to the back of his neck in a nervous manner, "I'm sorry."

"You haven't done anything wrong."

"I did… And you don't need to be around me; especially in public."

All of a sudden, it as though a light bulb came on. The conversation with Mike's mom from a few days prior replayed quickly in my head. Tattoos. Eddie could possibly be short for Edward; it was a stretch, but not that much of one.

"Edward," I whispered, gently reaching out and placing my hand on his knee, "what do you want to drink?"

"Coke."

I smiled, resisting the urge to genuinely smile at Edward. I busied my fixing the guys' drinks but my mind wandered.

_How could tattoos be so… easy on the eyes?_

_He smells good, like really good._

_Who is the other guy?_

"I don't know if I can be honest with him; I mean everyone thinks that they know me and everything…" Edward's voice trailed off as if he was lost in his own world.

"So what . It isn't like it wouldn't be good for you to fess up everything."

"And risk what – another black mark on my reputation? A possible jail sentence like Sam? Emmett, I can't – just can't. I mean, shit. I'm tired of everyone judging me. For once, I want someone to see me for me and not for all of my fuck ups." Edward hung his head.

Once there was a pause in the conversation, I sat the drinks down on the faux, wooden table top, thanking the powers that be that I didn't spill anything.

"So, what can I get you?" I asked, my eyes glancing from one side of the table to the other.

"Can we get two large pizzas, one hamburger with extra sauce and the other…"

"Lemme guess, cheese on deep dish?"

"How did you -? Eddie?"

Edward nodded, but once I returned to the register and began to put in the order, I was rewarded with a genuine smile from Edward.  
Since the kitchen was short on help tonight, I let Edward and the other guy, Emmett, know it would be a little bit of a wait for their food. In the meantime, I found little things to do to pass the time like straightening the tables and swiping the floor before returning to my long forgotten text book.

"So, dude, what's up with crazy eyes?" I heard Emmett ask Edward as I refilled napkin holders.

Sadly, Edward didn't answer; but I had a gut feeling I knew what Emmett was asking about. Since the two walked in the restaurant, I felt Edward's eyes following my every move.

After they had eaten, Edward approached the register once they were ready to go, the check resting in the palm of his right hand.

"Hi." I grinned, shockingly nervous.

"Bella," He nodded his head, resting the check on the counter.

"How was it?"

"The scenery was the best part." He smiled, leaving me speechless; "So, you know my name now?"

"Yep," I answered, shifting my feet nervously, "But I don't think you're a bad guy."

"Good, I suppose." Edward responded as he finished paying then shoving his beaten, leather wallet into his back pocket; "I suppose, yeah…"

"What is it?" I leaned in closer, totally clueless to my surroundings.

"BELLS!" A voice came bellowing from the front end of the restaurant.

It was Mike, and in the brief second I knew an explosion was about to occur. I just stilled myself for the fall out._  
_

"Don't leave. Not yet." I whispered to Edward as quickly as I could.

Mike came behind the counter and draped his arm around my waist establishing his territory. If that wasn't enough, Mike, who rarely showed any other form of affection in public, placed a quick, dry kiss to my temple. My stomach churned.

"What do you want, Masen?" Mike snarled, "Looking for another girl to put in the hospital?"

Mike was baiting him; that much was obvious. I held my breath, hoping that Edward wouldn't give in and start a confrontation with someone who was so much younger than he was.

"Mike," I looked at him sternly, "please don't."

"What do you mean 'don't', Bells?"

I sighed, knowing there wasn't much I could say . He had his mind made up about everyone and everything. I just kept my eyes on Edward's retreating form. I didn't know why or what was causing me to be drawn to him like a moth to the flame – but I was.

"If you want to make a scene, please by all means, do it outside." I finally spoke up, "I have a job that I don't want to lose, so I say again, either go outside or sit down and shut up."

I was breathing hard and fast, my fists were clenched down by my side. I wasn't about to lose my job because my boyfriend wanted to make a scene and show how big and bad he _thought_ he was. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks, even Edward, who was close to walking out of the door. Apparently, no one expected me to actually want to voice my feelings.

"Who said I was making a scene?" Mike feigned innocence.

"Oh, so the showboating and pointing your finger at my customers when you walked in the door wasn't causing a scene?"

"You're standing up for him!"

"I'm not standing up for you or him. I'm standing up for myself."

"Aw, come on Bells."

That was it, Bells. I hated that nickname; and I saw red.

"Just get out! "

Everyone walked out, including Mike, who may or may not have bumped into Edward's shell-shocked form on the way out of the door. I took a moment to gather my self-control, silently hoping that Edward knew I didn't want him to leave.  
Time seemed to have stood still until I heard some metal clank on the counter. There was only one person that I knew in this entire town that had that much metal on their fingers … Edward, with four, large silver rings that graced every finger expect for his thumb on either hand.

"Miss Bella." His voice was low as he leaned across the counter.

"Sorry," I whispered, my voice suddenly gone.

"No, darling, no need to apologize for what happened."

"I mean, with you and him. There was no need..."

" Don't apologize for that… " He chuckled darkly, "I'm used to it."

"Still -"

"You need to close up, and if you would like I can wait outside. There's a nice bench directly across the street." He smiled.

I nodded, knowing that he was right and feeling slightly better . Fortunately, I had managed to get most of the tedious, closing chores done before actually closing. I was on the way out the door when Mike decided to make his grand reappearance.

"Hope you know we're through." Mike stood there with his hands on his hip trying hard to look angry, but failing miserably.

"Okay. Now get out of my way." I walked passed him, throwing my purse across my shoulders.

"You know I'm not gonna take you back."

I just kept walking, right across the street. True to his word, Edward sat cross-legged on the bench. I couldn't help the skip in my step that appeared when I realized that he stayed. The moment we noticed each other, I'm sure the smile on his face mirrored mine.  
All else seemed to float away.

"Mr. Tattoo." I couldn't help myself, as I stood in front of him, close enough, yet again, to get dizzy off his scent.

"Miss Bella, I gotta ask you a question before I lose my nerve."

"Okay, what is it?"

"So here goes," His hand scrubbed at the back of his neck as his eyes darted in any direction expect at me, "do you want to know my story?"

I sat down beside him before I could answer. One look and I could tell that it made him uncomfortable just mentioning it; whether it was because it was just that horrible or whether it was because he was including me, I couldn't tell.

"Only if you want to share it with me. "

"I do. Meet me here tomorrow night at closing time. Dress nice."

I mentally reviewed my work schedule. Thankfully, I didn't have to work. Then it hit me, I did have a curfew on school nights. The restaurant closed at ten o'clock every night but Friday and Saturday when we closed at eleven, and my Dad expected me to be home no more than thirty minutes after closing.

"I-I can't."

"Oh."

"No, not that I don't want to – I can't. That I have a curfew," I hung my head, more aware of the age difference than ever before.

"What time do you turn back into a pumpkin?"

"Huh?"

"When's your curfew?"

"Oh, during the school week,it's ten – thirty. Friday and Saturday nights, it's midnight if I'm with my friends. Dad was a cop, so …" I shrugged it off as if it was a legit excuse.

"Okay, so how's this? You know the gas station that is at the red light above the high school?"

"The one with the good hot dogs or the other one?"

"The one with the hot dogs, of course. I can meet you there at four o'clock since school lets out at three – thirty."

"Do I still have to dress nice?" I asked with a slight pout, earning a laugh from Edward.

"I'm gonna dress nice, willingly. So entertain me."

"Fine," I whined.

"Until then," He whispered, lightly brushing his knuckles against my temple.

Once I couldn't see the tail lights from the car that Edward disappeared into with Emmett, I climbed into my truck. I wasn't in a hurry to get home, but the aforementioned curfew lit a fire under me.  
Sadly, I was thirteen minutes late walking into the house. My dad sat in the plaid, cloth- covered chair that faced the door. I grimaced, I didn't like being on his bad side.

"Why are you late, Bells?"

"Mike and I had a talk; after work."

"Oh, how is he doing?" My dad's demeanor changed completely.

"Okay, I suppose. We broke up." I answered as I climbed the stairs to my room.

I wasn't in the mood to talk right now, well about Mike at least. After finding a somewhat nice dress that didn't scream that I was trying too hard, I turned in for the night, dreaming of what the next day would hold for me.

* * *

**A/N; Thanks to everyone that is sticking with me. It's a little rough to get back in the swing of writing after disappearing from it for ****_years_****. A bigger thanks to beta, Fran, who bleeds all over everything in order to make it pretty and can see past the dust and cobwebs in my style. Lord bless her. **  
**A head's up to everyone reading, the posting schedule will change somewhat. I just had my schedule change at work, which caused my days off to change - which is when I post. So now I will either post on Sunday or Tuesday every week. What can I say- people need to quit breaking their cell phones (:  
Again, let me know what you think..good or bad... or if you have any theories; I would love to hear those as well.  
**

**The song that inspired the story and the man who inspired my idea of Edward; watch?v=tHElpY4v-R4 or a studio version watch?v=PNZwktld4dw**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N; Once again, I don't own any thing that is Twilight or anything related to BG... I'm just ****NOT**** that lucky. Also, thanks to all of you that have read, favorited, commented, recommended BtR so far. It means a lot to me. Yet again thanks to my superbeta who is having to deal with my love of the comma and patiently dealing my horrid rough drafts until the dust slowly comes off. **  
**Things with our Edward and Bella are starting to pick up... the two of them would not shut up this chapter. I guess should also say that I am writing this without a set plan, I'm letting the characters lead the way - so if there is anything that you'd like to see answered - PM me. So, I will see you at the bottom! -****_bsgnr_**

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Edward drew the blinds closed as soon as Emmett left. There a spinning in his head and churning in his gut that he couldn't ignore. Tonight, for the first time in the past few days, he had needed some company from Jack. Good 'ole Jack wouldn't ask questions or pass judgment, he would just listen.

However, he had to resist the urge to drink to the extent that he wanted…needed to, because he was meeting up with Bella in the morning. It was time to start peeling the Band-Aids off the wounds he carried and he figured Bella was a good place to start. After all, she was an innocent in all this and if he wanted anything with her, she deserved the truth from him and not the gossips in town.

A glass, two fingers deep was his only solace before crawling into a cold, empty bed. The nights were long, restless and filled with nightmares.

He opened his eyes slowly the next morning. The red lights on the clock screamed that it was almost noon. There were only a few hours that stood between him and Bella. He was a mix of nervous and excited.  
First things first. He jumped in the shower and rinsed off the grit and grime from the night before , ready to start anew. Throwing on a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt, he grabbed the keys to the truck off the coffee table. The truck needed gas if he were to make it all the way across town, nevermind the fact that Emmett gave him thirty dollars specifically for gas, and a brand new pack of Marlboro Blacks, His older brother could be a giant pain in the ass but there was a heart of gold in that beast.

The drive to the nearest gas station was probably ten minutes up the highway, but almost instantaneously blue lights were lighting up in Edward's rear view mirror. He gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his rings were biting into his skin. Blue lights coming from a Jefferson County police car were never a good thing, but he did what he was supposed to and pulled off the road, rolling down his window.

"Can I help you, officer?" He asked when the cop stood by the driver side door of the truck.

"Ha, Masen." The cop snickered, "can't stay on the right side of the law can you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Jacob." He addressed the officer by his first name. Everyone in the department knew who Edward Masen was and in turn, Edward knew every member of the police department on a first name basis.

"So, word has it that you're getting awfully cozy with a dangerous prospect. If you are a smart man, which between you and me, I doubt you are, you will stay away; that is if you don't want to make things any worse for yourself."

"Again, Jacob, I have no clue about what you're talking about. If I haven't done anything wrong, I would like to go gas my truck."

"Just watch your back, Masen."

Those were Officer Jacob Black's last words to Edward before he got back into his squad car and drove away, leaving Edward clueless and angry.

After returning to his house later than he planned, no thanks to Officer Black, he started getting ready to meet Miss Bella. Another shower was in order for two reasons. Firstly, he wanted to make sure he showed up smelling and looking good. Secondly, he wasn't about to bring a loaded gun to a knife, he braced his forehead against the cool, damp tile in the shower as he watched the thick, milky –colored strands circle the drain.

Remembering that he told Bella that he would be dressing nice for her, he decided on a long-sleeve button down, a tie, and slacks. Even though it wasn't his normal garb, he knew that she was worth it. He really hadn't given much thought to what the two of them would do or where they would go. He situated his baseball cap in his signature backwards style when an idea hit him.

Edward left his house at three-twenty, knowing good well he had plenty of time. Bella probably wouldn't go for what he had in mind, but if he wanted to start over, he was going to start with her. Right at three-thirty, he pulled his Raptor into the parking lot and flipped the box of cigarettes open, fully prepared to wait.

It was now or never.

The next day at school didn't move fast enough. The first two classes seemed to drag by, but that wasn't anything atypical; after all, math and government were _not_ the most exciting way to start the day. Though there was something different about today. Everywhere I went I could hear the roar of the hallway die down, and then start back up the minute I was out of earshot. I wasn't paranoid, but at the same time, I wasn't stupid.

Lauren Mallory cornered me next to my locker, " What a stupid, stupid bitch."

"Excuse me?" I cocked my head to the side in utter confusion.

"Palling around that guy that put Jess in the hospital… Bet'cha didn't know that she is having surgery today to see if they can slow down the bleeding . But you're buddying up with him…"

I tried hard not to laugh. Lauren was trying to sound big and bad, taking up for a supposed friend when she didn't even really know said friend's condition or how to verbalize it.

"What's wrong with me being friendly?" I looked her dead in the eye.

Nothing was going on between Edward and me…yet. But no one needed to know that. I would be a liar if I said that I didn't want something more than this friendly, very flirtatious banter the two of us had going on. I was willing to bet that I wasn't the only one that felt that way, but I wasn't going to press the issue for a lot of reasons; at least until I turned eighteen, in two weeks.

"Oh nothing, if you consider him good enough to be friends with." She shrugged as if her reasoning was anything but logical.

Mike walked up, "Lauren, do you still want to go with me to the hospital after lunch?"

"I had planned on it. Jess is going to need all the support she can get after the surgery today."

I fought the urge to laugh; Lauren was so fake, but such was the case in high school.

"What's got you all dressed up?" Mike looked down his nose at me, "Don't tell me you're dressing nice for Masen, when you never dressed in anything other than jeans around me."

"Well, considering that we never did anything together that required me to dress nice, as you call it, you never saw me in anything other than my jeans or whatever red and khaki combo I wore to work. Secondly, I don't owe any kind of explanation. But since I am feeling sorry for you today, for whatever reason, I'll give you one. I decided to dress nice for me and to see just how many of your buttons I could push without even trying. And right now, green is not your color, Mikey."

I walked off, not bothering to look back or give either one of them a chance to respond. Granted, adrenaline was coursing through my veins and my hands were shaking with nerves, but my voice didn't falter. I wasn't one to stand up for myself, but I had enough of the whole Jefferson High peanut gallery.  
English class was a great deal more tolerable since I actually enjoyed the subject and I had the class with Angela. Mrs. Cope was standing at the head of the class introducing the start of a project that would run the course of the semester, our AP Journal. I didn't moan and groan about the subject as a whole, or the required entry length, but the first topic made me feel like the universe was out to get me. Five pages, thankfully double – spaced, on the impact of alcohol on speed limits, and the consequences were due by Friday.

_At least I had a credible source of information_, I thought darkly for a moment.

Angela waited for me as I threw my books back into my book bag because I didn't want to walk into the cafeteria alone. In the wild, predators preyed on the weak and the lonesome, high school was no different; expect National Geographic didn't film documentaries in the hallways.  
I meandered through the lunch line; Ang was in front of me, helping herself to a slice of pizza and an apple. Needless to say, I wasn't hungry , but I grabbed an apple and a bottle of room temperature water.

"Ok, so pink elephant in the room...what's up with the dress? And don't tell me the line about trying to make Mike jealous." Angela asked, waving her hands around in random patterns.

"Can't I just be girlie?" I asked , hoping she would get the hint that I didn't want to talk.

"Come on, let's be real here."

"Fine. All I will say is that I am meeting some after school."

"Now see, that wasn't so hard, now was it? Now my next question is - who is it?"

"A friend."

"Well duh. Male or female? Spill it, Swan."

"Male."

"Oh! Lemme guess! Is this the guy that you broke up with Mike for?"

"What! No! In case you forgot, Mike broke up with _me_."

The shrill of the dismissal bell rang throughout the cafeteria effectively cutting off the conversation much to Ang's disappointment.  
I only had two classes standing between me and the end of the day, so I stood and straightened the ends of my dress and fought my way down the crowded Science hallway that connected the Social Sciences wing.  
My last class was only forty – five minutes, but they were surely going to be the longest forty-five minutes of my life. Carefully, I slid into my seat in the front row and dug my notebook out of my messenger bag, tote thing that my mother got me, insisting that the bag was all the rage with 'kids these days'. The only thing that I gained was a sore shoulder from lugging it around all day.

Mrs. Cope stood at the head of the class, scribbling a writing assignment on the board. At the start of each class, she liked for us to respond to some writing prompt that ultimately tied into the day's lesson or taught a lesson in itself. Needless to say, all I did was scribble down the discussion topic; despite knowing that before class started, she would come around and check everyone's notebook.

_Oh well._

The daily dismal bell rang, but Mrs. Cope had finished going over the day's topic about ten minutes beforehand. I was just sitting there, anxiously tapping the edge of my pen against the corner of my desk.  
I rushed out of the classroom towards my locker where I met up with Angela every day.  
Once we had unloaded the books that we didn't need or want to take home, we made our way out to the student parking lot. Without fail, Angela tried to get my attention so that she could finish the conversation from lunch, but the fluttering butterflies in my stomach made her easy to ignore.

My stupid, beat-up, orange beast of a truck stood out like a sore thumb in the crowd of shiny, newer models. Apparently, a lot of people in this town lived on mommy and daddy's money, but not me. Angela always parked her sedan next to my truck, so we walked to our cars at the back end of the parking lot when she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Who's that?" She asked in a whisper, tilting her head to the visitors' parking lot and the person propped up against a silver truck.

"It can't be." I gasped when I saw the distinctive tattoos cascading down the right arm.

"Is that mystery man, hmm, Bella? Hmm?! Hmm?!"

"He said he would meet me…but here?"

I ignored Angela, who was jumping around like a hyper puppy with a new toy. I changed direction and started walking toward Edward, who was dressed in black slacks, a gray button down with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, black boots and a tie. Everyone around us could see, but I didn't care. I was going to give this guy a shot until he proved to me that he didn't deserve one. From the little bit of interaction I had had I with him over the past couple of days, I could tell that he had a heart of gold under lock and key. Angela followed behind me, no doubt clueless as to the scene folding out in front of her.

"Miss Bella." Edward smiled as I reached him.

"Mr. Tattoo," I smiled back, "I thought you were gonna meet me up the road?"

"Decided I would surprise you…Possibly cause you hell in the process; knowing this town." He shrugged, a tiny smirk playing at his lips.

"Nah," I grinned, "No problems caused. Just a nice sur-"

"Hi, Bella's boyfriend. I see she wasn't going to introduce us, I'm Angela. Or Ang." Angela interrupted our conversation with her over-the-top excitement.

"Hi, Angela. I'm Edward." Edward extended his hand and a welcoming smile.

"So, what are your plans for today?" Angela kept on talking to Edward as if I wasn't there.

"Just um, taking some time with Miss Bella, here. I need to talk to her about something that she needs to know."

I glanced down; suddenly the color of the pavement became increasingly interesting. Edward's ring brushed against my pinky and I felt heat and electricity. I turned my eyes up to find his green eyes staring back at me; he felt it too. He had to have.

"But I think that it's time for me and Bella to get going," Edward said effectively ending Angela's rant of excitement.

He held my hand as I stepped up into his truck, which was shiny and new compared to mine. Once he climbed in, he reached down beside his door, pulling up a pack of cigarettes, tapping them angrily against the palm of his hand.

"You don't mind if I smoke, do you?"

Typically, I would have minded. There was just something about the mere thought of Edward smoking, in addition to his tattoos and piercings that I found attractive, so I shook my head in the negative.

Edward put the truck in gear with one hand while his left placed the cigarette between his lips. We didn't talk much and, I figured he was more than likely nervous like myself. Thoughts raced through my mind at a frantic pace, mostly wondering if he really wanted to talk, or was that what he said to all the girls before me.

"Where are we headed?" I asked when the silence became too much for me.

"Don't spazz when I tell you, 'kay?"

My breath caught in my throat, "Okay."

"To my house. I've got some sweet tea and some snacks that I figured we munch on sitting on the back porch. No expectations and hopefully no judgment."

"Sounds good to me. But what do you mean by no judgment?"

"Honestly, Miss Bella, I'm scared to tell you things about my past."

I didn't know what to say, but I could see the fear in his eyes. I knew that he was older than I was and with age comes a past and a story , but my thoughts were once again running away with themselves.

"Depends," I said with a sly smile, "haven't killed anyone have you?"

That one question, which I meant playfully, had ended our entire conversation. Edward had pointed the truck down Highway 129, so I knew that we were on the outskirts of town. Hopefully, it wouldn't be much further.

"Well, here we are." Edward announced as we pulled into a dusty driveway.

Once again, Edward offered his hand as I stepped out of the truck. He matched my pace stride for stride as we walked through the front yard. Surprisingly, I wasn't nervous any longer as I helped him gather two glasses and a collection of snacks from his almost empty kitchen.

We sat in the swing on his back porch quietly rocking; my toes barely touching the floor boards.

"I guess, I better warn you – you best get comfortable." He smiled, wiping his palms on his pants legs, angling his body to face me.

"Edward, I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything. If you want to tell me, then I'll listen. If you don't, then I'm fine sitting here."

"No, Miss Bella. I have to tell you; I want to tell you. All of it. I want you to know the real me and not the hellion the town sees me as; because if I am to be honest …" He stopped, cracking his knuckles, " I know you're young but there's a part of me that wants to see where this may go," He spoke quickly and quietly.

"Then I'm comfortable, tell me what you want me to know," I smiled, linking our pinky fingers together.

* * *

**End Cap; So there we go!This chapter is the longest chapter I've written in a while. :) Next chapter we find out what lead to Edward's out look on life.. dun dun dun. I'm working that as we read/speak; I just want to make sure I do the background justice so it's taking a little more time than usual. **  
**As always; feel free to comment and let me know what you think - love it or lump it - either way I want to know! Or if you would like, you can let me know via PM.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N; So this chapter took a lot out of me to write, edit and post. I don't know what it was, I just didn't feel inspired. But here it is, none the less. In fact, this is the first of possible many, glimpses into Edward's past - starting with the night of the wreck. However, be forewarned, if you are sensitive to topics of or implied topics of rape - either skip the chapter, or begin reading after the break.  
Many thanks to my superbeta for helping me get this chapter ready for y'all's eyes. And thanks to those of you that have read, commented, favorited this story so far - I hope that I am not letting you down.**

**Also, if you are like me, and need some listening music, here's what was playing on repeat for the chapters..  
Chp1 - Bending the Rules by Brantley Gilbert (and also the namesake and inspiration for the story and for Edward)  
Chp2 - Ladies Love Country Boys by Trace Adkins/ Cowboy Casanova by Carrie Underwood  
Chp3- Good Girl by Carrie Underwood  
Chp 4 - Creepin' by Eric Church  
Chp 5- Lookin' For That Girl by Tim McGraw  
Chp 6- Get Me Some of That by Thomas Rhett  
Chp 7 - Another Man's Woman by Brian Davis**

_**xx, bsgnr**_

* * *

_I was restless in this town. There was nothing to do unless your idea of excitement was trying to outrun the yellow light in the center of town.  
I had a tight group of friends, who were a lot like me… Hell raisers with nothing else to do. School was a just a joke. Teachers should consider themselves lucky if I graced them with my presence for the entire class period. _

_Ha._

_Mrs. Cope, that poor old woman, I dreaded her class more than any others, so I ditched more than I probably should have. Typically, I didn't go any further than the student parking lot to sneak a smoke or two; other times me and James, my best friend growing up, would race through the county roads with one of us hanging out the passenger window with a bat in hand taking aim at mailboxes.  
Other times, just for shits and giggles, we would throw fire crackers in the town square just to watch the folks jump and the young girls squeal like a stuck pig._

_Saturday night in a one-light town usually meant the fun had to be found in the fields on the outskirts of town. Thankfully, this weekend, my cousin was in town visiting, so the boring weekends prior to this one didn't matter.  
"So what are you and Tony going to do this weekend?" My dad asked, propping his elbows up on the breakfast bar._

_"Thought we might go down to the lake and do some bank drifting," I answered, not looking him in the eye._

_In actuality, Anthony and I were going to the back nine of the Cullen farm because they always had the best field parties in town. Everyone was there and something was bound to go down. Anthony was a few years older than me; he readily agreed to get a couple of cases of beer to take with us since these get-togethers were typically BYOB._

_Dusk settled, Anthony was loading his truck up with a cooler of ice and a couple of lawn chairs. I was busy helping my mother put the dry dishes up after dinner._

_"Edward, honey, I'm not naïve, I know you and Tony are going out tonight. Just promise me that y'all will be safe," my mother spoke in her soft voice._

_It didn't surprise me that she knew however, it did surprise me that she let me carry on with the lies I was spreading. If my ma knew, there was no doubt that my dad that my dad did too however, he just let me lie. I guess that I was just acting out and acting seventeen.  
Maybe that was true, may it wasn't. I didn't know, but right now I was having too much fun to even give it much thought._

_"I know, Ma. And we will; we always are." I reassured her with a quick kiss to her temple. _

_She grinned, nestling into the crook of my shoulder. I might have a badass reputation about town, but deep down I was a sucker for my Ma. She could make me feel ten feet tall or two inches tall with just one look. _

_After finishing the dishes, I took the stairs two at a time up to my room. I needed to change, there were going to be girls there tonight, and I had to make the best impression. _

_"Dude, E," Anthony barged in my room, "what the fuck is taking you so long?"_

_I rolled my eyes; he always wanted to ride my case if I wasn't operating by his agenda. We were close, no doubt about that, but Anthony could easily be the biggest pain my ass._

_"I'm just changing my clothes, keep your panties on!" I yelled from the bathroom, slipping my grandfather's dog tags around my neck. _

_Even though my parents more than likely knew what hell we would be raising tonight, Anthony and I made it a point to leave as quietly as we could…for my sake. _

_Once in Anthony's truck, I pulled my pack of smokes out of my boot and slipped one between my lips. My nerves were buzzing for the calming effect of the nicotine._

_"So who all is gonna be there tonight?" Anthony asked, as he pulled his Dodge truck onto the pavement._

_"I don't know for sure. I know James said that he would be there."_

_"And James is?"_

_"James Newton? His parents are Mike and Carrie Newton. Blonde hair, kind of scrawny. Has a younger brother. We've been best friends since we were two."_

_"Oh, wasn't he there at the cookout last year?"_

_"Chances are he was."_

_The Cullens' farm was on the far side of town which meant it was roughly about a forty – five minute drive from my parents' house, and the sun would have just set by the time we got there._

_A field party was a standard around these parts and more than likely, I was at everyone. Pick-up trucks with lowered tailgates were parked in a large circle. A huge bonfire was blazing off in the distance with people mingling in between.  
Anthony drove the truck through a clearing before slamming it in park causing it to fishtail. He was a little more reckless than I was, but I was slowly getting to his level. It sure didn't make our parents happy, but I was past the point of caring. _

_I jumped out of the cab of the truck, taking a quick moment to light my second smoke of the night. Victoria didn't take long to spot me in the crowd; she offered me a quick smile and made her way over to my general direction.  
She was James' girl, and though I broke a lot of rules – that was one rule that I didn't even entertain the thought of breaking. However, she wanted the both of us, and knowing her, she probably wanted the both of us at the same time._

_"Hey 'ya Edward. I didn't think you'd show," She smiled, wrapping me in a single-armed hug._

_I bit the inside of my cheek, "Yeah, 'sup Vic? Have you seen James?"_

_She huffed and quickly backed away, "Yeah, he's over there by his truck, not paying me any attention. He wouldn't notice if we disappeared – trust me."_

_I shook my head, kicked the dirt and made my way over to the battered, dark blue truck that my best friend drove._

_" 'Sup man?" I spoke as I wrapped him in a manly hug, which was our standard greeting._

_"Not much man. You? I see Tony's visiting," James answered, nodding his head in the direction where Anthony stood, more than likely rolling his eyes, listening to Victoria ramble on about nothing._

_I popped the top to the cooler in the bed of James' truck and got my first beer of the evening, it was time to get the night started off right.  
A mix of Southern rock and country music was blaring from the speakers propped up in a classmate's tailgate; there was never a bad time for Garth Brooks or CCR in my book._

_James and I stood around talking shit, smoking one cigarette after another, washing it all down with ice cold beers. Victoria kept weaving in and out of the crowd, only coming over to bother us when she needed a drink._

_James was over talking to Anthony and another guy that we went to school with, leaving me in charge of holding down the fort at his truck. She came over, twirling in small circles to the beat of the music, her red hair swirling around. I swallowed hard before taking a long drag off my smoke. This wasn't going to be easy. She raked her deep, red nails around my waist, as she walked behind me to the cooler. Vic knew how to play it coy, but also how to make her intentions known._

_"He's over there, chatting it up. Come on, one time. I won't tell him." She popped the top on a can of beer._

_I closed my eyes, feeling my jaw twitch as I felt her hands reach into the back pockets of my jeans. She was playing with a raging fire that would no doubt burn the both of us._

_"Chill out, Vic," I said through clenched teeth._

_"What's the matter? Don't you want me? It's bad enough that he doesn't…" She trailed off; her voice was a whisper as her breath hit my neck._

_The next thing I felt were her lips lingering on my neck. I turned my head, my cigarette balancing on the edge of my lips, burning slowly to the filter, my hands fisted shoved in my pockets. I was uncomfortable. This red –headed hussy made me feel uncomfortable._

_"Don't you want to kiss me?" She whispered in my ear, flicking my earlobe with the tip of her tongue._

_"Go make out with James, for Christ's sake." I groaned, thinking of anything that would help prevent me from getting hard from Victoria's antics. _

_Luckily, Victoria finally got the hint and walked off. I exhaled finally. _

_The rest of the night went without incident, however, James stayed clear of Anthony and myself. It was odd, to say the least. Typically, we were like brothers, where you saw one, you saw the other. _

_Once Anthony's Ram was loaded, we drove through the field making our way toward the house. Right before we turned onto the road, we were stopped by James' parked truck. The driver side door was swung open and James was standing in front of the quarter panel with the sole of his boot pressed against the tire._

_"Masen! Get your ass out of the truck, now!" He bellowed._

_Anthony shoved the gear in park, before looking at me. We both had the last name of Masen and we were both clueless about what had happened and what was going on._

_"Come on, Masen! Too much of a pussy to take on someone your size?" James yelled again._

_I got out of the truck, throwing my hands up in an innocent position, shaking my head. I heard the driver side door of Anthony's truck slam shut moments later._

_"James, dude. I don't know what's going on," I said slowly walking toward James._

_It was clear that he was drunk by the glassy – eyed expression on his face._

_"Oh, so you expect me to believe that you don't remember raping my girl tonight?" He pushed me back by my shoulders._

_"WHAT!" I yelled back at him in clear shock._

_I couldn't get any other words out of my mouth before I felt James' fist connect with the side of my face. At that point, friendships be damned, it was on. No one takes a cheap shot at me – no one!_

_I charged him, knocking him down into the grass. I got in a few good swings, one to his gut and another connected with his nose with a satisfying crunch and pop._

_James headbutted me causing me to fall backwards, giving him the ample opportunity to get in a few kicks to my ribs. My eyes were slowly swelling shut, but I could see the fire – red hair of Victoria standing in the glow of James' headlights with a satisfied smirk across her face.  
Anthony eventually pulled James off me and laid him out with one swift punch before he loaded me into the back of the truck._

_"E, just hang in there!" He yelled through the window that separated the cab from the bed of the truck._

_The summer night air was muggy flying across the truck as we drove down Highway 129. I could tell that Anthony was hauling ass to get me medical attention, either from my Ma or the hospital. The truck pulled over, and Anthony came around to the back to check on me._

_"How ya feeling?" He asked, folding his arms on the side of the truck._

_I just nodded, slowly sliding into a sitting position, "I need to sit up dude."_

_Anthony dropped the tailgate and helped me into the passenger seat and buckled me in._

_With about fifteen miles left on 129, a pair of headlights swerved into our lane. Anthony jerked the wheel to the right, making a split second decision that taking the ditch would be a better option that hitting another vehicle. The truck bed caused it to fishtail and bounce off the side of an old oak tree before hitting a tree head on. The was a loud crunching sound after the truck came to rest as something hit the roof of the truck.  
The smell of gas and burnt rubber lingered in the air as the other truck corrected itself and drove away._

_"You should've gave in, Masen!" Victoria's voice pierced the night air._

* * *

I took a deep breath before chancing a glance at Bella. I didn't like telling the story – never have. In this town people were so quick to make their judgments based on what they thought happened, regardless of whether or not it was the truth.  
She was taking a chance by being here, that wasn't lost on me. This whole situation was beyond fucked up however, so was my life.

She sat there quiet, gazing off into the distance, gently swinging back and forth. I silently willed her to say anything; literally anything. The silence was killing me; it meant that she was probably judging me. I didn't need that.

"Look, I know that I've told you too much," I sighed, raking a nervous hand through my hair, "if you want to go, I can take you back to the school.. or not, if you -"

"No. Yeah. I don't know," She whispered, still not looking at me, "It's just a lot to take in, I guess."

"It is, I know. I've had seven years to digest it, and I still struggle. So, I don't expect you to be okay with it in a matter of a few minutes."

She stood up, causing the swing to shake. As she walked away from me, I felt a knot rise in my throat. I had never let someone so close to me – by choice and, right now, it was re-enforcing the reason why I didn't.

I heard the back door slam closed. I was sitting out here alone. I groaned, beating the bottom of my last pack of cigarettes. My Ma had always been on my case about quitting and, I had toyed around with the idea but, right now, that was the last thing on my mind.

Just when I thought that Edward Land would increase in population, the resounding silence proved my optimism was shot down and that I was wrong.

After finishing two cigarettes, I walked into the house to look for Bella. I found her the in the living room, staring at the pictures on my mantle.

"What happened to you?" She asked looking at a framed picture of Emmett and I dressed in our sports uniforms.

"What do you mean?"

She looked me dead in the eye for the first time since I told her the story but, the eyes staring back at me were cold and distant. Moments ticked by slowly, before she scoffed and walked away through the front door, fishing her cell phone from her bag.

It was over, for now, maybe for good.

* * *

**Lemme know what you think - theories, love, hate etc...**


	8. Chapter 8

**So, this update was a lot later coming than usual. This week has been a rough one all the way around. Work picked up, but needless to say, I am now up for a promotion and pay raise. I had to take care of a family member who had surgery this week, on top of working ten or twelve hours a day. And I am dealing with a break up, so there's a lot going on. All that being said, I wrote when I could, and this chapter is UNBETAED so all the mistakes are mine. Also, I have noticed a drop in response to the story, so I do thank those that are sticking with me. I'm still debating on whether or not I am going to finish this.**

**xxbsgnr**

**~~ Before She Does by Eric Church ~~**

* * *

I didn't know what to think anymore. This small town living was supposed to be simple but, it was turning out to be the exact opposite.  
After Edward told me everything, I didn't know what to think or say. Everything that came to mind seemed wrong or fake.  
The silence was creeping in, boxing me into a corner and I didn't know what to do. I fished my phone out of the bottom of my bag and made a call to Angela to come pick me up. Needless to say, it took her about five minutes to quit asking a million questions before I could even give her my two cents when it came to directions.  
Once I heard her wheels in the driveway, I bolted out the door without as much as a 'goodbye' to Edward.  
I needed time to process everything. I just hoped that he would understand – if not now, then maybe one day – if I would ever see him again but; in this small town, the odds were pretty good.

"How in the hell?" Ang asked carefully backing out the drive way.

"He wanted to talk to me about some things. I guess he wanted me to make my own decisions about things."

"What things?"

"The stories , the rumors."

Angela didn't say anything and since she was a talker, I knew she knew the rumors I was referring to. At the same time, I wondered if Edward would be okay with me hinting at the things he told me.

The drive back to school seemed longer than it did to come out here but, once again I sat in the passenger seat fascinated by the hem of my dress. My mind was racing a mile a minute, full of what if's and questions.

I tried to process everything but, finding a place to start seemed to be the hardest thing to do.

"Bella, get out of your head! I know, I know, we need to have a girls' night. Mani's, pedi's cookie dough and cheesy John Hughes films. " Angela all but shrieked as I twisted the key in the door of my truck.

"And that's supposed to do …?" I looked at Angela like she had started growing another head.

"I don't know! It's still a good idea, sheesh Bella, you are a girl, aren't you?" She laughed.

"Fine! I don't work tomorrow, so we can hang out at my place. I have cookie dough in the fridge, you bring the fingernail polish and the movies."

Angela didn't answer because her smile was spread ear-to-ear.

I threw the truck into gear and pulled out of the parking lot, artfully dodging the speed bumps. It was a quick drive to my house so I had to get my emotions and thoughts into check real quick.

Charlie walked in the door shortly after I had gotten home. He sat his briefcase down by the door and loosened his tie as he walked through the living room into the kitchen.

"How was your day, Bells?" He asked as I heard him grab a beer out of the fridge.

"It was okay. Just another day in class. Sorry I hadn't had much time to start something for dinner; me and Ang hung out after school and I just got home."

"Don't worry about me, Bells. There's a loaf of bread and some lunch meat, I'm fine."

My dad had always been a simple guy. As long as I could remember he was involved in law enforcement in some fashion and on his days off he split his time between me and fishing. Sometimes I was lucky enough to go on the lake with him and catch a brim or two.

True to his word, he fixed a ham and cheese sandwich and sat down in his recliner in front of the television in the house.

A lasagna pan had been sitting in the sink, soaking, from the night before, so I busied myself scrubbing it while staring out the window.

_Could he really?  
Did he really?  
Isn't James Mike's older brother?_

I didn't know how to make sense of anything and I didn't know if I could talk to Angela about it.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.

The next afternoon, Angela pulled into the driveway at twelve exactly. I laughed, she was so excited and it was totally out of character for her. Meanwhile, I greeted her with a neutral expression and my arms folded against my chest.

"What's in the bag?" I asked when I noticed she had a stained up Jansport bookbag on her shoulder.

"All my nail polishes, a two – liter of Dr. Pepper, three movies, and three bags of popcorn. Oh! Two Cosmo magazines , too!"

"Anything else?" I chuckled, mostly at the Cosmo magazines.

"You laugh, but apparently those things are the Karma Sutra for us regular folk."

"And what would we need with that? Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Not yet. It's plausible, but not yet."

After finishing one movie and half a sleeve of raw cookie dough, I figured now would be as good of time as any.

"Hey, Ang. Got a question for ya?"

"Sure thing."

"That story I heard yesterday, how do I know if it's true or not? Who do I believe?"

"I don't know what you were told but, from what I was told it wasn't a pretty night. Edward isn't a pretty character; he has a past. But yes, you have to figure out a way to make sense of it all. And you have to decide if he's someone you want to associate yourself with."

"That's the thing. Well, one of the things. I don't know. I mean it isn't like anything is or can happen between us unless he has a death wish. But he seems nice, like a good guy that just got the shit hand in life."

"Sounds to me like you've already made the hardest decision."

* * *

After an unknown silver sedan peeled out of my drive way with Bella inside, I couldn't help the sense of defeatism that came over me. I threw the remote across the living room, effectively connecting with the wall. Anger and shame coursed through my veins. She was like everyone else, apparently, judging me based on the false words from someone else's lips. I shuffled through the living room back to the kitchen, holding my breath. In the upper cabinet above the fridge, my stash sat waiting like a long lost friend.

The only friend I had.

I pulled the half empty bottle of Jim Beam and a tumbler down with shaky hands. It had been a little while since I had a drink but, I didn't care.

I swallowed three fingers down without so much as a blink.

Another three fingers down, I was starting to feel the tingling sensation in my legs. I lit a cigarette and propped myself on the kitchen counter, looking at the swing Bella and I just left.  
The breeze was causing it to sway back and forth.

I poured myself another glass, emptying the bottle of Jim. I swallowed it down without a second thought, relishing in the slight burn as it slid down the back of my throat. I slammed the glass down on the counter so hard I thought it would shatter; I was only slightly disappointed that it didn't.

The sun started setting on the back of my property. I thought about calling it in the night, but I was too restless. I was itching to get out of the house but, even in my dazed and slightly drunk state, I knew not to get out on the road in my truck or my bike.

The sun came through the window in the living room, as I turned the other way. My head was aching and my mouth was dry. Apparently, I had fallen victim to a hangover. I had almost forgotten how rough these bitches could be…_almost_.  
Heavy footsteps echoed through my living room; I knew instantly that they belonged to my brother and I had less than ten seconds before… .

"Yo! Eddie!" Emmett's voice echoed through my house and vibrated in my head like a ringing bell.

I rolled over, bringing the pillow over my head; anything to drawn out reality.

"So, brotha," Emmett, started as he entered my room, "I thought we could go get a bit of pizza before you go to your session today –if you're down."

I groaned. Of course this big oaf would want pizza the day after Bella left without so much of a 'goodbye' or even a 'fuck you'. I would have taken either, anything to know if I had or had not wasted my breath with her.

"Nah, man. I'm not feeling so hot." I groaned.

"Hang over from the Jim? I saw the bottle on the counter," Emmett deducted.

"So the fuck what? I had a few drinks before crashing." I crawled out of bed, slowly, very slowly.

"The night before you have to go to Newton because of your drinking. That's the fuck what, Edward! What's going on?"

I sighed, scrubbing a hand over my face. I didn't want to tell him anything, so I didn't. I just fished some clothes out my closet and throwing them on haphazardly.

"We getting lunch?" Emmett asked, excitement in his voice.

"I guess, but no real loud noise," I warned, knowing that it was useless.

My brother slapped his band across my back, in between my shoulder blades. I downed a glass of water, mostly ice, with a couple of aspirin before walking out the door.

About thirty minutes later, we were pulling into the town square, in front of the only pizza restaurant in the small town.  
My mouth went dry, my palms went sweaty, and my stomach growled. However, I still didn't want to go inside.

I wasn't ready to go inside or to face anything else.

I was done.

The chime above the door announced our presence and instantly my eyes began scanning the small restaurant looking for a petite brunette. It was bittersweet when I didn't see her behind the counter with her nose buried in some text book.

"What's eating your grits, bud?" Emmett asked, as he looked through the menu.

I shook my head, "Nothing. But really? A menu?"

"Eddie, Eddie, do you know how many different kinds of pizzas there are in here," Emmett whispered in awe.

I rolled my eyes. My entire life I had always wondered if Em had been dropped on his head as a child. He was the first born after all, so mistakes could happen. Even with the second born, me, my parents still didn't get it right.

"But really, bro, what's wrong?" Emmett sat the menu down and stared me in the eye.

"Have you ever let someone in because you had a good feeling about them but, then you second guess your choice?"

"What did you do?"

"I told someone about that night."

Emmett's brown eyes doubled in size and the color drained from his face. That night wasn't something that I readily opened up about to anyone other than family.

"And I was sober," I added for some unknown reason.

"Who did you tell?"

"No one you'd know. But still, I told somebody."

"I know, dude. That's huge for you." My brother admitted as he took a drink from his Dr. Pepper.

I groaned, my head still ached from the night before. I couldn't tell if it was from the drinking or the overthinking.

The pizza was sitting in front of us and I could feel the steam rising hitting me in the face. It looked good, and normally after drinking I would be all about eating something greasy ; today though, I wasn't hungry.

Bella was messing with my mind worse than any Jack, Jim or Crown ever had.


	9. Chapter 9

**So apologies that there was a delay in posting! At the moment, my RL sucks moth balls. All the stuff that has been going on, couple that with another family member being diagnosed with cancer and being pulled over twice in the last week and a half... Yeah...  
Again, between the crazy RL stuff going on and working like a crazy person since work had a huge summer blow out sale with system issues - I didn't have time to prewrite and submit it to my beta. Maybe when my life isn't tanking, I can get back in the swing of always, I thank those that have read, favorited, followed, commented and stuck through thus far...Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.**

**xxbsgnr**

_**Lie Baby Lie ~ Brantley Gilbert**_

* * *

The past couple days had been rough. I was inside my head more than normal. I slammed the driver side door closed on my truck, angry at the world and pissed at Mike. He had a way of getting under my skin and grating my nerves like no other person had before – expect maybe Victoria.

In all honesty, I hadn't been brave enough to go back into town. I didn't want to run into Bella and possibly be confronted with a million questions.  
Emmett had been over several times, trying to convince me that everything was in my head. There was something in me that wouldn't believe it.

I was caught between a rock and a hard place – without a paddle and without a clue.

Once inside my house, I started changing out of the button down shirt that I wore to my meeting earlier. My demons were slowly eating at me and, there wasn't anything I could do about it. My last pack of cigarettes were lying on my dresser, taunting my nerves. I grabbed the box, tossing it nervously from palm to palm. My lips went dry and, I felt my hands start to shake. Caving, I plucked a long, white cylinder from its protective case and placed it between my lips before striking my lighter.

I stood inside my closet, bare chested, running a hand through my hair. Thoughts were running through my head and, my hair was getting longer. Boss, my motorcycle, was sitting outside next to my truck, silently calling my name.  
The open road with the wind blowing by always seemed to clear my head; so I changed into some clothes that fit my riding persona grabbed my wallet and made my way back out the door. I wasn't even out the door fully before I could feel my blood pumping in my veins.

The key dangled in the ignition and I sat on the cool, black metal for a brief moment – trying to decide which way to go.  
With one glance down at my empty left forearm, I knew instantly where I wanted to go and, with one rev of the engine I was off.

Sadly, as much as I had been trying to avoid it, my path took me through the heart of downtown and passed the pizza place that Bella worked. I tried not to look around the store front for the brunette, teenage girl that had set my world into a rapid spin. However, I did look. She was standing outside; laughing with another girl who I would guess was a friend of hers. They both looked happy, so care free – the way that teenagers were supposed to be.  
I took a quick glance at her and shoved my shades back into place and drove off, revving my engine multiple times.

About forty-five minutes later, I was pulling into an empty parking spot outside of the tattoo parlor that I was a loyal customer of – _Graphic Ink_. On the inside, there wasn't anything special. A set of black leather couches pressed against burgundy walls created a seating area. A black, glass top coffee table sat in front of the couches containing binders of the artists' work.

I didn't need to flip through the binders to find a design or an artist. I knew what I wanted inked into my arm and who I wanted to do it – hopefully he had a spot open today since I showed up out of the blue.

I saw his skinny, overly tattooed build come around the corner, helping another client.

"Ed, what's up my man?" He asked the minute he saw me sitting there.

"Jas, you have time to do a piece for me?" I cut straight to chase.

"Lemme finish this and we'll talk."

I nodded, bouncing my leg, waiting anxiously.

Once Jas finished up with the girl he was working with, he came over and sat down in front of me.

"So, what are you thinking?"

"I want something here," I gestured to my inner forearm.

"Okay. I knew we had some plans in the work for other pieces later on but –"

"No, no. I still want those. But I _need_ something here."

"What is it?"

"The words 'Only God Can Judge Me' in some kind of Old English font."

Jas was a guy of few words, so when he clapped his hands on his thighs and stood up, I knew that Jas liked my idea. Even if he didn't, I knew that Jas wouldn't voice his distaste that much, since he wouldn't be the one wearing it.

I sat down in Jas's chair and closed my eyes, losing myself in the hum of the machines beside me. Jas came around the corner and showed me a sketch of what I wanted; true to his skill and fashion – it was more than I had thought of.

"It's a little done up than you explained but, I figured we could tie in with the banner on your right arm," Jas explained as I looked it over.

On the tracing paper, he had drawn up a tattered banner that looked like it would wrap around my entire forearm and that used a similar font style that was used on my right arm. It wasn't Old English, but it made sense on a deeper, artistic level.

"Let's do it," I encouraged, handing the stencil back to Jas.

"So what brought this on? Jas asked, after a few minutes of silence as he adjusted the stencil.

"Shit, man. Just shit."

Jas nodded, he knew some of the cards life had dealt me. However, there were only three people that had the whole deck. Me. Emmett. And now, Bella.

"Her name's Bella." I broke the silence, openly admitting the thoughts that had been racing through my head.

"You're getting inked over a chick that isn't your Ma?" Jas asked without looking up.

"Dude, so I told her everything. Like everything. And I haven't heard back from her. And with all the other bullshit in my life, the stares, the whispers, everything – it seems fair, ya know?"

"Ed, chicks are fickle. And who gives a flying fuck about what others think."

I nodded, it all made sense. It really did but, it wasn't enough to make me change my mind.

After being inside the shop for almost two hours, I was back on my bike with a bandage and Saran Wrap around my left arm.

For a brief moment, I silently dared any mother fucker to judge me…


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N; So, this is another unbeta'ed chapter. Chapters will probably be unbeta'ed until my life gets back on track. And that may be a while; I'm just being honest. I had some extra time off of work, so I churned this chapter out, and am posting it early since all day tomorrow I will be cleaning up and cleaning out - getting ready to move. Yep, on top of all this, I am getting ready to move into my first place.  
As always, thanks to those of you who have read...favorited...followed...commented.  
See you below...**

**xxbsgnrxx**

* * *

**BPOV**

It had been about a month since the last time I saw Edward. Truth be told, even though I hadn't seen him, I had thought about him quite often. My dad been busy wrapping one case and stuck in the middle of handling Jessica's case so, I hadn't seen much of much of him either. School was starting to pick which meant my birthday was slowly approaching. I dreaded my birthday because I hated being the center of attention and, this year was going to be another highlight year. I was turning eighteen. Thankfully, my dad was nothing like my mother. She made such a big deal of my sixteenth birthday a few years ago; I still had nightmares.

On the way to school, the roads were damp from the slight rain fall from the night before. The closer I got to school, the crazier the driving became.

_Idiots._

Angela was getting out of her car when I pulled into a parking spot near her. Hurriedly, I shoved my rust bucket on wheels into park and pulled the hood of my jacket up as I slid out the door, careful not to fall.

"Morning," Ang greeted me as I slowed my stride to match hers.

"Hey," I huffed.

"Sooo – tomorrow is the big day! The one – eight! Are you excited?"

I loved Angela but, sometimes I wondered just how much sugar she put in her coffee in the mornings. That girl was bounds and bounds of energy way too early in the morning.

"Ang, I think you're excited enough for the both of us." I smiled, shaking my head.

"What are the plans, hmm? Hmmm?"

"Dad's taking me out to Currants' tonight. Or probably anywhere that has a class A steak. Then he's letting me have a small get together at the Lodge Saturday night."

"Am I invited?" Angela laughed with a pleading look on her face as she draped her student identification card around her neck.

"Of course! As long as Mike doesn't make an appearance."

"Speak of the devil -"

Mike was leaning against the door frame of the cafeteria, feeding into Lauren's flirtation. His jacket was, of course, hanging from her shoulders.

_Figures._

"Hey Swan!" Mike yelled when he saw me pass by.

"Douche.. I mean Mike," I rolled my eyes and faked a smile.

Lauren rolled her eyes and squared her shoulders, no doubt trying show off Mike's oversized jacket – strutting like a peacock. She knew that Mike and I briefly dated but, hopefully she knew that I didn't want him back – ever again.

"So word in the hall is that your birthday is coming up…" Mike started walking up to me.

"I don't know, Mike."

I walked away, heading toward my locker to switch out my books and, get ready for the day. Ang and I parted ways, only having her promise to catch up with me later in the day.

_**-BSGNR**_-

The day went by slowly, no thanks to the quiz I forgot to study for. The dismal bell rang loudly through the empty hallways that soon flooded with quick – moving teenagers. As always, I loitered around in the hallway, waiting on Ang to get back to her locker and allowing the parking lot to empty out some before I got to the truck.

Angela chatted my ear off with ideas for Saturday night as we walked back out to our cars. Out of habit, my eyes scanned the area, locking on the gas station across the street. Parked at the pump was a truck, a sexy beast of a truck; a truck that I hadn't seen in quite a while – Mr. Tattoo's truck.

"Bella…are you with me?"

"Huh? Sorry, yeah."

"What is it?"

I shook my head. It wasn't like I didn't want to tell Angela what or who I saw. She knew about Edward, or some about him. It was that I didn't think that I would see him anymore. It had been a while since I laid eyes on him. He hadn't even been by the pizza shop in the meantime. It was all strange. Every time I heard a motorcycle, I would always look around in hopes of seeing him.  
A week ago, while Ang and I were hanging around outside of the shop, I could have sworn that I saw Edward ride by on a motorcycle and then rev off like he was angry at something.

The pull I felt anytime Edward was mentioned or around was something that I couldn't explain. Granted, right now things were tricky simply because of the age difference but, that didn't bother me. It didn't cross my mind. However, the one thing that did cross my mind a lot was the story that he told me the last time I saw him. There was something about that story that just didn't sit right with me. It like something out of a novel, I couldn't imagine having to carry that burden around for that many years.

"Well, I'll talk to you tomorrow," Angela dismissed us and ended my internal day dream.

"Okay. I've got to go anyways. I need to get dressed; apparently Charlie wants to dress nice for dinner tonight."

"It isn't like you can blame him. His only child is turning eighteen."

As always, Ang had a point. I offered a quick wave and started my truck. If I was lucky, I could get home without it stalling out on me.

_No._

_Such._

_Luck._

Ten minutes away from my house, my old truck stalled. I turned the key in the ignition several times but, the truck didn't want to turn with it. First, I had a crappy day at school with a failed quiz, now this. I gave up and hit the steering wheel repeatedly.  
My dad would be home in about twenty minutes and in a hurry to leave in attempts to beat the dinner time rush. I still had to get dressed – the world was against me today.

I don't know how much time had passed before truck came down the road, effectively splattering water off the pavement onto my windshield.

That truck…that _damn_ truck…

I climbed out of my truck in a hurry, hopefully he would see me in his rearview mirror and come and help me – see me – talk to me. Anything.

I don't know, maybe the universe was trying to offer an apology for my shitty day but, that silver Ford truck slowed down and started backing up, heading towards me. Instantly, I ran my hands down the front of my shirt smoothing out any wrinkles.

"Darlin'." Edward leaned out the driver side window.

"Hi, Mr. Tattoo", I smiled but trying to remember that I was stranded.

"What's going on?" He parked the truck in the ditch on the other side of road.

"My truck won't start. I turned the ignition but the motor wouldn't turn."

Edward climbed out of his truck and, I couldn't help but notice there was new ink on his arm. More than likely, there had to be a story behind any of his tattoos because, he didn't seem like the kind of guy that would pick a random design off the wall. He grabbed some things out of the back of his truck and popped the hood of my truck with a loud squeak.

"So, uh, what's up with the new arm décor?" I leaned against my truck, watching as his shoulders moved back and forth as he worked on the engine.

"You noticed that, huh?"

"Yep."

"I just had the itch to get another. Probably gonna be getting another here soon. It just depends on when Jas gets the design down." He answered wiping his hands off on a grease rag, "There, you should be good to go now."

"I'm thinking of getting my belly button pierced when me and Angela go into town next weekend," I blurted out.  
Truthfully, the thought hadn't crossed my mind at all.

"Don't you have to be eighteen to get that done?"

"I will be. My birthday is Friday." I felt a blush creep up in my cheeks.

"Oh, in that case; any big plans?" He propped himself on the side of the truck, crossing his feet at the ankles.

"Yeah. I have dinner plans with my dad tonight and then Saturday night he's letting me rent out the Lodge to have a few friends over."

"I see, I see. Nothing to major then?"

I shook my head with my teeth digging into my bottom lip, opening the driver side door to my truck. I didn't want to leave but, I knew I had to get back home if I was going to dinner.

"Keep one eye open then, darling."

He cranked the Ford truck up and waited for me to start my truck. I toyed over Edward's words just briefly before the rust bucket started with a slight pitter and put.

_**-BSGNR**_-

My dad sat on the sofa waiting for me to come home. He was already dressed and not looking in the least bit pleased.

"Sorry dad; the truck stalled out and I had to figure out something."

"How'd you get home?"

"A friend drove by and helped me out."

The less he knew- the better. Edward didn't seem like the kind of guy that would easily earn my father's approval. Besides, I didn't know exactly what was going on with the two of us right now or even between us.

After searching through my closet for longer than I had planned, I finally settled on a teal colored, short sleeve dress. It wasn't over –the-top what Charlie probably expected but, it was heads and tails above what I typically wore.  
I took my hair down out of the fishtail braid that I wore to school, allowing the loose waves fall on my shoulders and, with a slight pinch to my cheeks for a touch of color; I was ready to go.

My dad was standing at the foot of the stairs, waiting for me. As soon as my foot hit the bottom stair, he offered me his elbow.

"You look nice tonight," My dad muttered.

He was never one to express his feelings but, I chanced a glance in his general direction and noticed his eyes were glassy.

"You look handsome too, dad," I replied, gently squeezing his elbow.

Even though I had not been that long moved in, I was quickly turning into a daddy's girl.

The sun was starting to set as we pulled into the parking lot of Currant. True to my dad's character, he pulled into the farthest parking spot in a vain attempt to keep some stranger from dinging up his precious beige Toyota Avalon. I was just thankful for my inability to walk in a straight line in anything other than flats.

"So, no talk about work tonight, I promise, Bells." Charlie looped his arm in mine as we made our way to the door.

"Okay," I replied dumbly, not able to think of a better response.

Inside the restaurant, the hostess escorted us to a small table in the corner. A candle sat in the middle of the table on top of a royal blue table cloth with cream linen napkins.

"So, do you know what you want?" Charlie asked, his eyes focusing on the menu.

"I don't know, it's either between the mushroom ravioli or the grilled chicken with the pineapple salsa."

"Bells, honey, you're at a steak restaurant, why not indulge and get a steak?"

I shrugged, " 'Cause I'm not in the mood for steak. I mean, just because we're at a steak house doesn't mean I have to order steak, as long as I eat something right?"

Charlie shook his head, "You know if you present facts like that, you just might have a chance in the legal field."

Before I had a chance to respond, a blonde haired waitress stood at the end of our table with her booklet in hand, ready to take our drink orders. Since working in the food industry, I always tried to be courteous to my waiters; there were plenty of assholes at other tables.

"Um, sweet tea, please," I answered when I felt her gaze on me.

Once she returned with my dad's glass of wine and my sweet tea, we were ready to place our food orders. Of course, my dad went with the steak he was looking at earlier and I ordered the grilled chicken, much to the chagrin of my dad.

We were about halfway through dinner before my dad asked me something that I hadn't really given much thought to, "What are you planning for college?"

"I honestly hadn't thought much of it. I know Angela is headed to UWG so, I may look into that."

"What about Athens and, the University of Georgia? It is closer to home."

"Oh yeah, dad. Can't you just see me barking at football games?"

"What's wrong with a little school spirit?" My dad asked with a chuckle.

Shortly thereafter, my dad paid the bill and we headed towards the parking lot. There wasn't much said between the two of us but, that was okay. We were both full and enjoying being in each other's company.  
He parked the car in the driveway beside my truck and, I grabbed the to – go box from the back seat. By the time I was closing the door to the car, Charlie was standing on the small front porch unlocking the door.

We lived in a quiet part of town so when I heard the rev of an engine driving down my street, I stopped in my tracks. He had told me to keep an eye out but, surely he couldn't be that brazen – could he?  
However, if he wanted to be, he could at least wait until Friday.

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**So, as always, I would love to hear your thoughts and theories!**


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